The words "socialism" and "Bernie" have been said together constantly for months now.

[Ken Burch]

If the "s-word" was really going to doom Bernie in the fall, shouldn't he be twenty points behind any Rethug now?

Everything he could be attacked about has ALREADY been brought out.

The short story from '71 has been put to rest.

He has a great relationship with Levi, so the family thing has been put to rest.

The kibbutz thing has been put to rest.

The flag in his office thing has been put to rest.

There isn't anything else...and yet he still beats the GOP in the polls.

We can now use the phrase Gertrude Stein used for Oakland(unfairly) to describe Bernie's "baggage"

"THERE'S NO THERE THERE".

[kstewart33]

1. Not true.

To date, Bernie's been given a free ride by the mainstream press. A whole lot of Hillary-hate but not a peep about Bernie beyond 'feel the Bern!' 'The Revolution!'

So has Donald Trump.

Why? Ratings. Bernie and Trump are making the Dem and Republican presidential campaigns exciting, and that means higher ratings, more clicks, and more profits for the media.

The media is beginning to take a closer look at Trump - not at the crazy things he says which translate to ratings and clicks and profits, but his past statements which greatly contrast with his current positions. Prediction - Trump will fade once the country gets a closer look. But the messenger is the media.

Bernie?

[CentralMass]

2. I frankly don't think people care.

[hifiguy]

6. Correct answer.

And in response to the first post on the thread, Herself has been fawned over by the corporate media. Endlessly.

[KingFlorez]

3. Let me educate you

Reading is fundamental, so pay close attention.

At this stage, general election polls tend to be crap. There were polls in and before 2012 that showed Obama losing early on, as well him over performing greatly. In the end, he won by a clear, by narrow margin.

Republicans have not launched their fire about "socialism", tax increases or anything of the like. Like it or not, Sanders is basically unscathed at this point. But, if he were to become the nominee he would hit with a barrage of attacks and his numbers would come down to earth, perhaps even going underwater.

Nothing has been put to rest, because you can bet that Trump would hammer home the essay and the flag issue. Whether or not those will be effective attacks cannot be said right now, but it is clear that nothing as been put to rest as far as the general election goes.

Educate yourself and realize that early polls don't guarantee a damn thing.

[CentralMass]

8. A large number of voters on both sides of the aisle could care less. They see and hear an honest man

Talk about the issued that matter to them.

I predict that he will continue to climb in the poll's.

[Yog-Sothoth]

4. Republicans took a lot of poison out of the term socialist with their treatment of Obama

However Sanders who is nothing like Obama deserves some of the poison in that term as his positions are extreme and would be terrible for our economy.

[libtodeath]

5. It is 2016 and those that have been savaged by capitalism have had enough.

[Cheese Sandwich]

7. It doesn't hurt at all. Anybody who cares about that already wasn't going to vote for us